Bizen Beer Drinker

This is a Bizen beer cup by So Kaneshige, who succeeded the Maruyama kiln as the eldest son of Sozan Kaneshige and captivates many with his harmony of delicate, elegant clay texture and powerful form. It is crafted from the relatively sandy, coarse-grained clay that So Sensei often uses for tableware; the bright caramel-brown clay texture is punctuated by raised grains, creating a surface perfect for a beer cup. Chilling it before use not only enhances the flavor but also causes fine water droplets to form on the surface, making the clay texture sparkle with even greater beauty. Through daily use, the clay surface, fired from carefully selected high-quality clay, will become further polished and develop an increasingly deep and rich character. The sesame glaze (goma) on the rim is visually striking and also enhances the texture like a coating. Original wooden box (signed with two-way crossbar lid) Diameter 7.4cm x 7.4cm x Height 11.5cm So Kaneshige is the eldest son of the Intangible Cultural Property holder, Sozan Kaneshige. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyoto University, he began his path in ceramics under his father in 1969. He became independent in 1979. He primarily creates tea ceramics on the potter's wheel, characterized by deep, rich firing. He strives to eliminate decoration as much as possible, focusing on channeling his soul directly into the clay. He rarely enters public exhibitions, focusing instead on presenting his work through solo exhibitions; he holds energetic solo shows annually at department stores in Okayama, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto, and also held a solo exhibition in Munich, Germany, in 1995. In 1997, he also exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition.